Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: State vs. Pitt (ACC tournament)

Live updates and analysis from Wednesday's ACC tournament matchup between the Wolfpack and Panthers in Greensboro

GREENSBORO -- Ten days ago, the NC State basketball team beat Pittsburgh in a game that was vital to its NCAA tournament hopes.

This afternoon at Greensboro Coliseum, the same two teams meet again in the second round of the ACC tournament in a game that is even more critical to the Wolfpack's chances at getting into the field of 68 come Sunday.

There are no more do-overs. No more opportunities to add to the resume unless you win.

While a victory against the 13th-seeded Panthers (16-16) won't do much if anything to improve State's position on the NCAA bubble, a loss would almost certainly burst it.

And State, the tournament's No. 5 seed, can't afford to take Pitt lightly. Even though it has beaten the Panthers nine straight times, five of those wins have come by six points or less -- including that come-from-behind 77-73 triump at PNC Arena on Feb. 29.

Pitt is also coming off an impressive opening round win against Wake Forest on Tuesday, a game in which it shot 52.3% from the floor and got 31 points from freshman wing Justin Champagnie.

Make sure to check back here frequently for live updates and analysis from the Wolfpack's most important game to date.

And while you want for tipoff, here are some links to our coverage leading up to the game for you to help pass the time:

Bates Will Be Available for Wednesday's Game Against Pitt

Rested Panthers Ready for Another Shot at Wolfpack

Greensboro Holds Good Memories for Johnson, Wolfpack

Keatts is going with Markell Johnson, Devon Daniels, C.J. Bryce, Jericole Hellems and D.J. Funderburk in the starting lineup today ...

Eric Hamilton, Xavier Johnson Trey McGowens, Au'Diese Toney and Justin Champagnie for the Panthers ...

Unlucky news for the Wolfpack. Jamie Luckie is on the whistle for today's game. He's joined by Roger Ayers and Clarence Armstrong.

Funderburk is going with a new hairstyle today, with a Cat Barber-style pony tail rather than his usual braids ...

FIRST HALF

Right off the bat Champagnie gets called for a foul. Getting him in foul trouble would be huge after the big game he had yesterday ....

State off to a good start, a stop and a steal by Johnson defensively. A Daniels free throw and a Johnson dunk on the other end ...

First TV timeout: State 9, Pitt 6

Bates into the game for the first time at the 14:50 mark ...

Really good ball movement by State on offenes so far ...

Pitt is a very physical team and it's showing it in the early going here today. Beverly just got hit in a sensitive spot as he tried to defend a drive by the Panthers' Trey McGowens ... 

State has four steals already -- two by Bryce, one each by Johnson and Hellems. ...

Under 12 TV timeout: State 17, Pitt 12

Pitt's Ryan Murphy looks like a guy playing pickup at the Y ... Either that or Billy Hoyle from 
"White Men Can't Jump" ...

Daniels finishes a fastbreak that began with a Johnson steal with a rim-hanging (literally dunk). Daniels then converts on another transition, this time off a Bryce steal, and will have an and-one when play resumes. 

Under 8 TV timeout: State 27, Pitt 21

State has seven steals already and 16 points off eight Pitt turnovers ...

Funderburk with an emphatic block and a primal scream to go with it ... Wolfpack is fully engaged here today. This is exactly the kind of effort it needed today. The trick now is to sustain it for the entire game ...

Champagnie had Beverly on him and was begging for the ball. Once he got it, he fired up (and missed) a three instead of backing the smaller defender in and getting a layup ... 

Now Champagnie picks up his second foul ...

Andree into the game for the first time. He looked a lot more comfortable shooting in practice yesterday and said his ankle feels as good as it has since he hurt it against Clemson back in January. If he can carry that over into the game, it would be a big help for the Wolfpack ...

State had built a 10-point lead, but has given up six straight points. Keatts calls timeout to regroup  #gameofruns ... State 31, Pitt 27

It's now a 9-0 Pitt run and the lead is down to one ... But Beverly stops the bleeding with a midrange jumper ... 

Funderburk with his second block. That's not his specialty, but he's doing a good job of it today ... 

A lot of contact in the final seconds of the half but no calls ... Neither team had a field goal in the final 2:22 of the half ... 

State goes into the break up three, but should be ahead by a lot more. Still, a good start ...

Halftime: Wolfpack 35, Panthers 32

SECOND HALF

Devon Daniels has 15 points for the Wolfpack, but nobody else has more than five (and it's Braxton Beverly). That's not the kind of balance that is usually State's trademark and it needs to change in the second half ...

Hellems draws first blood for the Wolfpack in the second half, then Daniels gets a steal that leads to a Johnson layup and right away, Pitt's Jeff Capel calls a Jeff Bzdelik-like quick timeout ... Wolfpack off to a good start in the second half, up 39-32 ...

State picking up fullcourt coming out of the timeout ...

Three fouls on Xavier Johnson. He's got 11 points for Pitt ... 

Markell Johnson, however, misses two of the three free throws ...

Funderburk gets called for goaltending on a play in which the ball probably wasn't going in the basket ... But makes up for it by scoring at the other end ...

Three fouls on Hellems. Bevery in to replace him ... Keatts stops Hellems to have a chat with him about something on the way to the bench ... 

Daniels gets popped in the face and is in pain. It's Johnson's fourth foul ... I've got a feeling the officials might look at this to see if it's a flagrant one. Upon seeing the replay, it sure looks like it .... 

And they are reviewing it ... And is is a flagrant one ...

Under 16 TV timeout; State 44, Pitt 40

Daniels makes both free throws and the Wolfpack retains possession ... Bryce converts that in the lane and then scores after a Pitt turnover ... that's an eight-point swing since the flagrant 1 ... State lead back up to 10.

Wolfpack needs to put Pitt away this time ...

Under 12 TV timeout: State 53, Pitt 44

Markell Johnson has 10 assists today, the seventh time he's gotten into double figures this season. He also has four turnovers. So is this the good Markell or the bad Markell?

Bryce, Funderburk and Daniels score unanswered baskets and the State lead is up to 61-49, it's biggest of the game, with 7:51 left. Timeout Pitt. ... 

Daniels has 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Bryce has seven of his 11 points in the second half ... 

Champagnie gets away with a goaltend after a foul is called. Not sure why they didn't review that ... Funderburk makes two free throws and the State lead is up to 12 ...

Keatts hates when Daniels falls in love with his floater instead of taking it hard all the way to the rim, but it's falling today. He's got 21 now and it's a 14 point game. ... 

Bryce goes down hard under the basket and is still down. He's sitting up, but a trainer is attending to him. ... Fortunately, it looks as if it was just a cramp ...

Bryce back in ... 

Now Beverly with a trey and the Wolfpack is taking care of business … 70-53 

State has held Pitt scoreless for the last 3:12

Final TV timeout: Wolfpack 70, Panthers 53

Up 19 with another game to play tomorrow (against Duke), Keatts has put Dixon, Graham and Farthing in for the final two minutes ...

And now Capel clears his bench for Pitt ...

Wolfpack does what it had to do and takes care of Pitt ... this doesn't get necessarily get State into the NCAA tournament, but it sure helps. Wolfpack can take the guesswork out of things by beating Duke tomorrow

FINAL: State 73, Pitt 58